OReilly

Hello all:

I have just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Amsterdam. What a beautiful and engaging city it is!

Preparation:
Fodors site, of course, and many thanks to all for your advice, particularly PalenQ, who generously shared his/her extensive knowledge of the city. I also always have Fodor’s guide books at hand when planning a trip.

Eye Witness Guides Amsterdam: I love the pictures, and find these guides an easy way of targeting what I want to see.

Everyman Map Guides: Once you have done your planning, these are excellent little books to bring with you. They have easy to follow maps by city region, and the major sites, and provide restaurant recommendations, which are often quite good. I have one for every major city in Europe.

Hotels.com: I was delighted! I checked various sources for hotels, including the hotels’ own websites, and was impressed that this site always had the lowest rate, although sometimes the hotel itself might have a slightly lower rate. Always use multiple sources. I chose the wonderful Amrath hotel, and got a stunning rate for a five-star hotel.

Amrath Hotel Amsterdam:
http://www.amrathamsterdam.com/default-en.html
I absolutely loved this gem. I travel a lot on business, and generally end up in very disappointing four-star business hotels. I had forgotten what it was like to stay in a five-star. OK, its not the Ritz, but for the price-point, it is quite lovely. Here is the review I posted on Hotels.com and Fodors:

This is simply a wonderful hotel, five minutes walk from the Central station. I had a deluxe room, which was large and beautifully decorated, with a large bathroom with both bath and shower. It was also spotlessly clean. The room was at the back of the hotel, so I did not have a 'view', but on the positive side it was very quiet. The hotel's décor is stunning and it has a very elegant restaurant. The staff is very friendly and efficient. I highly recommend it and will definitely stay there again.

Start of the Trip
I had spent the previous week in Dusseldorf on business, so it was only a 2.5 hours train ride to Amsterdam. I booked on the DB Bahn website – 59 Euros for a First Class ticket.

I arrived at Amsterdam Central Station with a big suitcase and a roll-on, and was quite embarrassed to take a taxi for the three-minute drive to the hotel. But, there was not a word of censure from the taxi driver – just an indication of how divinely polite the Dutch are . We chatted, and I apologized for the short trip. He said it was OK, and I doubled the fare, as was appropriate under the circumstances.

There was a very personal check-in experience, and then up to my room. I loved it. Gorgeous big bed with high-quality cotton sheets; ‘Arts & Crafts’ wallpaper; rather heavy furnishings, I probably would have designed it lighter; great big windows – the Dutch love the light; absolutely fabulous bathroom, with both bath and shower.

I could not resist the bath, and soaked in it for 20 minutes before setting off to the restaurant.

Blauw Amsterdam
http://www.restaurantblauw.nl/

OReilly

Hello cheery11:

I was in Germany on business. I asked for advice on this site as to where I should go for a weekend. Amsterdam was the very agreeable destination.

OReilly

Friday Evening

Blauw was recommended by the NYT. Here is the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/tr...0&pagewanted=2

The restaurant was a 25 Euros taxi ride form the hotel (taxis in Amsterdam are expensive, so get to know the metro/tram/bus system early on). I had a 1930 sitting. Book ahead on the weekends, as this is a very popular restaurant.

I was there to sample the famous Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table), for which Amsterdam is famous. I ordered a glass of Viognier and large bottle of water, and waited for the feast. The feast turned out to be more food than I would normally eat in a week! There were two types of rice, 8 Veggie dishes and 8 meat/fish dishes. Nice waitress saw the look on my face and told me not to panic, just take my time. All the food was entirely delicious, just too much for one person, and trust me, I have a very healthy appetite. I ate all the veggies, but only managed about a quarter of each meat/fish dish. You absolutely MUST go to this restaurant. Not cheap, the rijsttafel was 31 Euros, but well worth every penny .

After two hours, I could not eat one more morsel. Had I known where I was, and where the hotel was, I would have walked back to the hotel to work off the calories. However, I asked the staff to order a taxi, got back to my lovely room to plan the next few days.

Forgot to say that the hotel has free WIFI and free minibar! That night, I just devoured all the free water in the minibar, but noted you could drink yourself stupid on the contents, if you so wish.

TV also has BBC1 and BBC2, which is a real bonus

Tomorrow: Really BAD weather!

OReilly

Saturday

The pelting rain on the window woke me up. The weather was horrible, so it was easy to design my day.: The Museum quarter.

I did not need any breakfast, as I had completely pigged out the night before.

First stop was the Tourist Information centre, just opposite the entrance to the Central station. I purchased the I AMSTERDAM 72 hour pass for Euros 67. What a great deal, and how convenient. Included in this pass is unlimited travel, free access to almost all museums of interest, and a free canal tour.

http://www.iamsterdam.com/en-GB/Experience

Right next door, I picked up information on the transportation system, so I could chart out how to get where I wanted to go.

So, off to the Museums on the tram. The weather was gray and rainy and cold, but the people were so warm and helpful, it made up for it! I love the Dutch 

enjoystravel33

I am enjoying your report and will be visiting Amsterdam in April. Please continue! I am curious as to what other restaurants you enjoyed!

hetismij2

Enjoying you trip report.

No wonder you had to go on your soup and juice diet .

Give me a shout next time you visit, and I'll see if I can get the train in.

OReilly

First stop was the Rijksmuseum:
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en

Because of the bad weather, everyone had the same idea as I had – seek the museums. The line-up for the tickets was small (5 minutes), however the line up for the coat check looked like it would take about 2 hours! I bought my ticket and took my coat with me.

I purchased the 90 minute tour guide of the highlights (5 Euros), but spent about 3.5 hours there. There are some quite extraordinary treasures in this museum, and the building itself is a jewel. I suggest scheduling 4-5 hours for this visit.

I suddenly felt extremely hungry, and wandered out onto the main road, where I found a local Bistro. The Entrecote and chips was OK, not stellar.

Next stop was the Stedelijk
http://www.stedelijk.nl/en

Very good, with some really stunning pieces. There are a couple of Kandinsky’ that I love, and a few more by artists I discovered, same genre and time, that I know nothing about, but want to find out more. I was introduced to the COBRAs, who I now have to explore. I was really lucky that there was an exhibition on Kazimir Malevich (Suprematism), who I never knew before, but his work does move me, mostly his early Fauve paintings. How exciting: on a dreary rainy day in Amsterdam, I discover a whole slew of artists I knew nothing about before. This is a really good day 

Van Gogh Museum:
http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp
This museum is quite extraordinary. I was amazed to discover he started out as a very poor (as in BAD) artist, very bad early drawings. If you love the man, you must visit. I remember as a child seeing pictures of his work - It just touches the soul and heart. His extraordinary passion is visible in every painting.

Knackered from an overdose of culture, I took the tram back to the lovely Amrath hotel. I took a Gin & Tonic from the minibar, and ALL the water, checked the weather on the Internet, to discover that it would be cold and sunny in Amsterdam on Sunday.

Great! Enough of the culture, it was now time to explore. 

Pegontheroad

I'm enjoying your report.

HappyTrvlr

Thanks for your wonderful Amsterdam report. Very helpful.

OReilly

Sunday Morning:

OMG, it was cold on that Sunday morning! But the sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in the sky, so life was good!

I was out of the hotel by 0900 and on the Metro to Weesperplein, to do my walk of the Southern Canals, starting at Amstel Canal and Prinsengracht, ending up at the Amsterdam Heritage Museum, and taking in some of the best canal views in Amsterdam.

Is there any better experience for a traveler than to wander around a city on a sunny Sunday morning, before it has awoken? It was so beautiful. I love the simplicity of the architecture and those high windows that must flood the rooms with light. In Amsterdam, you must look UP to see the individuality of the houses – those wonderful, unique gables, every house is just a little different.

I was so delighted with the calm beauty of architecture, the cobbled streets, the quiet, the soft lapping of the water. But it was bloody cold, and I was starting to lose feeling in my fingers!

Just around the corner, there was the FOAM photographic museum. This would be a good time to take a break!
http://www.foam.org/

What a treat! They had an exhibition of William Klein, photographs from 1950s to today. Extraordinary! Another great artist I need to explore .

By the time I left the Foam, the temperature had increased, so the rest of my walk toward the Amsterdam Museum was positively balmy!

On to the Amsterdam Museum.

OReilly

Sunday Afternoon

The Amsterdam Museum
Having been educated in Ireland, I have an understanding of the country’s history, and its Golden Age, but not to any great depth. If I were to do my trip over again, I would have started it with the Amsterdam Museum, as it sets the context for the visit. This is museum is a wonderful experience, and children will be delighted. Had I had more time, I probably would have done a second visit. Spend at least 3 hours here, it is well worth it.
http://www.amsterdammuseum.nl/en/node/43

Hunger drove me from the Amsterdam museum, as I had not eaten from lunch the previous day. I had planned another Indonesian feast, at Kantjil, about 10 minutes walk from the Amsterdam Museum. I was not disappointed, the food was excellent. I started with the spring rolls and followed with Mangkok, where you can choose from a selection of rice/noodles, veg and meat. Very delicious!
http://www.kantjil.nl/en/

I then hoped on the tram to the Tropenmuseum :
http://www.tropenmuseum.nl/

I had high hopes for this museum, and was quite disappointed. It was actually a rather annoying experience. In the Amsterdam Museum, I saw one side of the story, re how the overseas colonies created the Golden Age. What I wanted to see in the Tropen, was the other side of the story - how the wealth was created, and a respectful display of the artifacts of the colonies. What I got was mostly a Disney side-show; probably a good experience for children, but not for adults. There are some extraordinary artifacts, but poorly presented IMO, and a bit disrespectful. The exception is the extraordinary collection of artifacts from New Guinea – WOW! It is worth visiting the museum just to see the wonderful artistry of these people.

I was a bit weary and cranky as I took the tram back to the hotel, but was cheered after a soak in the bath, climbing into bed with a gin & tonic, and watching ‘Call the Mid-Wife’.

harriet_hughes

Thanks for this report. We visited Amsterdam for just a few days some years ago--I have always wanted to go back and pay a visit exactly like this, visiting all the wonderful museums there. Maybe someday!

PalenQ

Always nice to read about Amsterdam and learning new things too - sounds like Amsterdam was a perfect choice!

OReilly

Monday

I love taking Monday off – its like I am playing truant and being terribly naughty.

It was gloriously sunny again, but a little warmer. I packed my bags, checked out, and was at the canal boat (opposite the Central Train Station) for my free trip by 0945 for the 1000 trip.

Of course, you always have to consider the canal boat trip in Amsterdam, and I have not done it since my first trip, many years ago. Frankly, I think it is very BLAH! Walking Amsterdam is far more wonderful IMO. But, it was included in the price, and I did it. I was bored after about 15 minutes, but was clearly committed for the hour.

Relieved to get off the boat, I visited the Tourist Office again to buy two tour guide books, for the Jewish and Jordan areas. I then took the Metro to Waterlooplein to visit the Jewish Museum.
http://www.jhm.nl/english.aspx

Amsterdam became a refuge for the Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal in 1492, and subsequently the Ashkenazi made a home there, fleeing from the pogroms in Eastern Europe. They became an important part of Amsterdam society.

The museum teaches about Jewish traditions and ceremonies, and also charts the history of the Jews in Amsterdam. Its all very interesting. Then you get to the Nazi occupation, and it is heart-breaking, traumatic. During the Nazi occupation, over 107,000 Jews were deported to the death camps, and only about 5,000 survived.

The 20th century section is wonderfully done – interactive screens with photos, interviews, pictures of the artifacts. Every person who visits Amsterdam should see this.

I found another artist here –Leo Kok, who died in Mauthausen, in 1945, aged 22(?). Who knows how brilliant he could have been?

OReilly

Monday Afternoon

Next stop was the Museum Willet-Holthuysen for a short tour. Interesting, but not extraordinary. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this house is that it is so modest in size, considering the vast wealth of its owners. I compare it with the mansions in Mayfair.
http://www.willetholthuysen.nl/en/node/43

For the afternoon, I had the choice between a walk around Jordan area or a visit to the Hermitage. Given it was a sunny day, I made the choice of the walk around Jordan. I took the 14 tram from the Jewish museum to Westerkerk, and did the 3 hour walk suggested by the Tourist Office map (it only took me about 2 hours).

It was divine! If I lived in Amsterdam, this is the area where I would live. It has such a personal scale, and it is quiet and laid back. I highly recommend at least a walk around this area, but would also recommend it as a base, as it is within walking distance of the Central Station.

I was hungry again and looking forward to another meal at Kantjil, before my flight back to London. I walked from Jordan, but got hopelessly lost, as is normal for me! Finally, I found my was to the restaurant, and ..... it was closed for renovations!

I was so very annoyed! I had been salivating all day about my meal at Kantjil, and now it was not possible .

The Dante restaurant opposite was a quick alternative. I had a Caesar’s salad and a glass of wine. BLAH!

Back to the hotel to collect my bags and then into the taxi to the airport for my 1900 flight back to London City airport.

It was a wonderful weekend. I probably could have planned it better, but overall, I got to see what I wanted to see, and ate some glorious food – just not enough of it!

Best regards ... Ger

Mathieu

Really enjoyed your report !

I love Amsterdam as well. I've been three times over the years but my last visit was a 14 hour stopover from Dubai and onwards home to Toronto. I cannot believe how much I fitted into those hours, but the secret that makes all this possible is as you rightly suggest, the easy connections in Amsterdam and the kind and polite people.

Well done - you make me want to visit again.

aussie_10

Thanks for your trip report.
We will be there in April.

2010

Thanks for a great trip report. You made the most of your extended weekend, Ger!

I will take a closer look at the I Amsterdam pass for our trip in the fall. Often, these city passes are not worth the price but it sounds as if this one might be. I wonder if we can make reservations for a timed-entry for popular museums & sights despite having the pass.

travelchat

Bookmarked this wealth of information to save for my planned river cruise, unfortunately, not until April 2015. I usually go in a few days before any cruise/tour sets off, in order to see more of the departure city, in this case Amsterdam, and adjust to the new time zone.

Thanks for all the restaurant recommendations and museum descriptions. You seem to have acclimated to the geography extremely well. So impressive that you got yourself around the city with such ease. Is it really that easy to navigate?

Great trip report!

OReilly

Hello all:

Many thanks for your feedback. I’ll do a wrap-up next week and will post some photos.

PalenQ: I am so grateful for your advice – it was indeed a perfect choice, based on your recommendation and reading your posts. Big hugs from here 

Enjoystravel: I will post re some of the other restaurants I researched.

Hetismij2: I would have loved to meet up. Maybe next time. Yes, I definitely broke my diet, so next week, I’ll be going to be back to the watercress soup.

Peg & HappyTrvlr: Are you planning a trip to Amsterdam?

Harriet: Like you, it took me years to get back to Amsterdam, and I am really sorry about that. I think I will be back there soon. There are dozens of more museums and restaurants I need to visit.

Mathieu: yes, the people were so polite and helpful. It was like Paris, but without the attitude

Aussie 10: Enjoy your trip. I have so much respect for you antipodeans who do the long trek over here.

2010: Thanks for the kind words. I definitely saved money on the pass, but it was also the convenience that worked well. The alternative is to purchase the travel pass (about 17 euros for 72 hours, but can also be purchased for 24 hours and upwards from the building just beside the Tourist Office) and the Museum Pass (purchased from selected museums and valid for a year, cost 55 Euros http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/museumkaart/). I probably should have taken this option, rather than the 72 hour pass, as I hope to get back to Amsterdam within the year.

Travelchat: Wow, I am lucky to manage planning a month in advance! Amsterdam world be an excellent base, as it is very tranquil for a major city and, as I have said, the locals are just so wonderfully polite and kind. The transportation system is excellent, and it is very easy to find your way around. Its a planned city, like a sun-burst – everything radiates out from the Central Station.

Best regards ... Ger